Day Trip #20
Sunday, September 4, 2022
It was an absolutely bright clear Sunday morning and we started the day by visiting the US Army Corps of Engineers Lock & Dam #7 located just north of where I-90 crosses the river in La Crescent, MN. The locks were busy with barge traffic. We stopped at a total of three locks that day and each of them either had a barge in the locking chamber or just exiting. This barge had just exited and was headed south on the river.
Fujifilm X-Pro 3 16mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 250
The 9 Ft. Channel Navigation Project refers to the minimum depth the Corps of Engineers maintains the main channel so the loaded barges can go up and down the river.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5, ISO 320
The locking chamber is in the foreground and the dam gates span the river in the background. The dams serve to regulate the flow of water down the Mississippi for flood control as well as keeping the river “tame” so it doesn’t overrun its banks and change course. There is an interesting book I read about the time before the Lock & Dam system and it was incredible how the course of the river would change from year to year as flooding would cause the river to overrun its banks and take a new path. The book was called “Wicked River: The Mississippi When It Last Ran Wild” by Lee Sandlin.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 640
Most of the Lock & Dam visitors areas have some type of small park and the US Army Corps of Engineers do a really wonderful job of keeping these parks impeccably groomed. They are such a pleasant place to visit and have a picnic lunch while watching the boats and barges pass through the locks.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 400
This particular Lock & Dam has a unique feature that allows you to walk on a pedestrian pathway along the main locking chamber. The chamber wall is on the right in this photo and the water on the left is a popular place for fishermen to cast their lines.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 640
The I-90 rest stop in Dresbach, MN is immediately adjacent to Lock & Dam #7 which is visible in the background. Sedrick said he was overdue for an appearance in the blog!
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/11, ISO 640
The Effigy Mounds National Monument has a boardwalk on the south side of The Great River Road (Route 76). Most people climb the bluff to the upper/northern side of the park where the majority of the mounds are located. However, this lease the southern boardwalk a rather quite and peaceful walk through the woods and marsh.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1250
Some impressive fungi growing on these trees. I’m afraid the web doesn’t do these photos any favors; they look much better in their original file format and seem to lose quite a bit when transferred to the compressed files needed for posting on the internet. Sorry…..
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5, ISO 1250
The walkway is really very nice and an easy walk for people of all abilities. It is even wheelchair accessible. Walking the boardwalk, the marsh is right below you as you pass.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 250
Here is the marsh which surrounds the walkway on both sides.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 500
The bridge on the trail passes over the Yellow River. This view is looking up the river and behind the viewer, the Yellow River empties into the Mississippi.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 800
The marshlands make for a good fishing place for the Great Blue Herons.
Fujifilm X-H2S 128mm, 1/320 sec, f/6.4, ISO 160
Fujifilm X-H2S 128mm, 1/320 sec, f/6.4, ISO 200
This guy was a little more cooperative with getting his photo taken.
Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/500 sec, f7.1, ISO 160
Lisa noticed this large hive well off the pathway. Using the telephoto lens we could see bees/wasps zooming into and out of the holes in the hive. Notice how this large hive is suspended from one tiny thin branch. Very interesting to stand there and watch. Look very closely and you can see a few of the bees/wasps walking along the surface of the bottom of the hive.
Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1000
I just thought this was an interesting look at the thick marsh/swamp land with the dead tree stumps coming up through.
Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/400 sec, f/8, ISO 160
These Field Thistles have an attractive flower and the bees were enjoying the pollen. Perhaps these are the same bees from the hive.
Fujifilm X-H2S 60mm, 1/400 sec, f/8, ISO 1600
These are Jack-in-the-pulpit berries, also known as Indian turnip, Bog onion, Brown Dragon or American wake robin.
Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/400 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1250
This is the view looking up river from Lock & Dam #9 near Lynxville, WI. The barge headed north had just exited the locking chamber when we arrived and you can see all the pleasure crafts that were waiting to enter and head southbound.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/9, ISO 400
While walking the park at Lock & Dam #9 we saw some of the first fall colors of the season.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5, ISO 500
Once again, these Lock & Dam visitor’s areas are just fantastically groomed and offer some impressive views.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5, ISO 640
Our final stop for the day was at Lock & Dam #8 in Genoa, WI. This loaded barge was in the chamber heading south. We thought this was coal, but someone who worked there was saying something about asphalt mix. Regardless, it is an interesting process to see these barges navigate through the locks.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160
Looking south from the locks you can see the La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 320
One final look at the dam as the sun was getting low in the west.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 500
